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Obama Slams TV Over Health Care Ruckus

From American Free Press, August 14

1. The Excuse Maker in Chief has a couple new scapegoats

2. "Cable TV" is now responsible, he says, for the furious face of defiance that has overwhelmed every one of his messengers attempting to push his plan, in every location across the US, from Tampa, Florida to Seattle, Washington

3. How he believes that attacking the networks is a smart move is just more indication that he doesn't get it, American politics, that is

4. Fox's rating are sure to swell the more he points O'Reilly out

5. While the network just continues to SLAM him

6. Which, who could blame em, now?

7. He's also taking on, in Belgrade, Montana, the insurance "villains" Ms Pelosi had to back off from attacking just last week

8. Who's next, Mr President, to take the blame for YOUR failures, the Gallup organization?

9. In Montana, he performed the EXACT same townhall, down to the very dance steps, he choreographed on Tuesday in Portsmouth

10. If anything, the Montanans selected to attend were even more eager than their Hampshirite counterparts

13. But when the NRA member stood up to say, I support the NRA---IN MONTANA (LOLOL!)---the merest smattering of applause

14. Clap

15. Clap

16. And I support the US Constitution, too, called out the one true town-hall'er

17. Clap

18. I'm sorry, Mr President, but tens of thousands of Americans taking time out of their busy lives to show up in high school gyms across the country in the middle of their Summers to express their real, genuine and heartfelt fears, sentiments and concerns is NEWS

19. Indeed, this town hall PHENOMENON is real HISTORY in the making---right before your eyes

20. The president's reprise of Michael Jackson's funeral, in contrast, is becoming passe

21. Scant coverage emerged out of Montana today precisely because there was NO NEWS

22. And what little there was emanated from the mouths of the NRA guy and the insurance salesman who closed the show, demanding to know why the president was villifying his industry

23. When will the president learn that LEADERSHIP's job responsibilities are radically different from OPPOSITION's, that the former, so much more demanding, require inspiring people with a positive vision, not ATTACKING them?

24. And when will he discover that to be an effective LEADER you have to take RESPONSIBLITY for your actions, not make excuses and look for lesser folk to blame?

US President Barack Obama on Friday blamed headline-hungry television networks for enflaming an ugly backlash by foes of his top priority effort to offer health care to all Americans.

A combative Obama also accused health insurance firms of holding sick Americans "hostage" as he launched a weekend tour of mountain west states Montana, Colorado and Arizona where suspicion of Washington runs deep.

"I know there's been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially when tempers flare," Obama said, at his own event with 1,300 people in an airport hangar.

"TV loves a ruckus," said Obama and then joked: "you've got to be careful about those cable networks."

Recalling a placid event he held in New Hampshire on Tuesday, the president said: "that reflects America a lot more than what we've seen covered on television for the last few days."

"We are held hostage, at any given moment by health insurance companies that deny coverage, or drop coverage, or charge fees that people can't afford at a time when they desperately need care," Obama said.

Re: Obama Slams TV Over Health Care Ruckus

I actually agree. 24 hour cable news channels are now as educational as TMZ. Journalism is completely gone from the airwaves and it's been replaced by malicious hysterical fighting, reckless reporting, zero fact checking, and every headline is made more salacious by wanton exaggeration wherever possible. Between Glen Beck crying, Maddow laughing like a hyena, and MSNBC and FOX reporting from alternate universes it's no wonder folks are easily excitable these days.

Re: Obama Slams TV Over Health Care Ruckus

He is partially correct, but not entirely. But from the perspective of those who try to push policy are of course going to rant against those who are the opponents. The branches of government, the media, and the population frequently enter a Battle Royale and ally themselves for a moment or two to get something mutual accomplished before finding it advantageous to promote their own agenda which would find themselves battling a whole new set of foes.

Re: Obama Slams TV Over Health Care Ruckus

The media could do a much better job at reporting. I remember back in the day when folks like Chris Matthews tried to keep their own party affiliations private for the sake of their reputation and balanced coverage and story-telling. Those days are gone. Can't even get your own show on the cable networks today unless you wear your fervent partisanship on your sleeve.